'Churches of refuge' a bad idea
Gregory Tomlin
Posted on May 25, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Churches in five major American cities announced recently that they have begun a program of sheltering illegal immigrants from federal authorities. This move is both unwise and unbiblical, and may be more about striking while the political iron is hot than about demonstrating true compassion.
I just posted the article not thinking about anyone in particular.
I do know this that I knew a pastor who was in a border town in which harboring illegal aliens started to become a dividing issue in the church because one of the members worked for the INS and did not think it was right to house them against the law. He had come to this country legally and was legally employed.
So what would you say to the man who works for INS? What would you say if one of those you housed in a church you were pastoring later turned out to be a terrorist?
It is wrong to harbor fugitives from justice.
The pastor should be telling them the only 'right' choice is to turn themselves in to the authorities - no matter what law they have broken.
You are correct. We are to obey the law. The only exception I can see from scripture is if the person is being persecuted for their Christ centered beliefs or they are in some sort of immediate danger of death due to a government that is goldless.
There are those out there that would compare this to Nazi Germany and think that they are being like Anne Frank or Corrie ten Boom when they were hiding Jews from persecution.
Haven't heard that there are concentration camps in Mexico...
Doesn't it seem like there is getting to be more and more paper? We are going to need some gold soon if gas keep doubling the way it has in the last three years. Somebody must feel a need for more gold. Could it be because of the debt we have to China?